Saquon tops NFL.com's Week 11 RB index
Following last week's standout performance against the Texans, Saquon Barkley is once again being recognized around the NFL world.
Earlier in the week, Barkley was nominated for the FedEx Ground Player of the Week. A few days later, NFL.com analyst and former running back Maurice Jones-Drew released his updated RB rankings heading into Week 11, where the Giants' star running back rose all the way up to No. 1.
"Barkley, the NFL leader in rushing yards, had 35 carries in Week 10, the most by a player in a game this season," wrote Jones-Drew. "In the win over Houston, Barkley amassed 152 yards that included a 2-yard touchdown plunge. He was a huge reason the Giants got back in the win column, and with an Eagles loss, the NFC East mountaintop feels within reach."
Barkley has rushed for a league-leading 931 yards on 198 attempts this season, good for an average of 4.7 yards per carry, and six touchdowns.
His 1,128 total yards from scrimmage is just 45 short of Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill (who is on bye this week) for the most in the NFL, while Barkley's 228 total touches lead the league.
In last week's win over the Texans, Barkley carried the ball a career-high 35 times for 152 yards. It was the second time he's topped 30 rush attempts in his five-year career, with the first time coming in the Week 4 win over the Bears (31 rushes for 146 yards).
"Obviously, you would think when you touch the ball that many times, you're going to be sore," Barkley said about his high-volume game. "It all depends on the week, the team you play. Sometimes you can touch the ball 10 times and be just as sore if you touched the ball 35 times. Sometimes you can touch the ball 35 times and not be that sore. It's just the grind of the season and that's how it goes. For me, it's just continuing to be a pro, take care of my body. We've got great people within this facility, and I've got great people that I work with outside of the facility to get my body back in shape and get my body right for the next game. There's never a set day, every week is different."
Rounding out the top 5 in Jones-Drew's rankings are Browns RB Nick Chubb, Titans RB Derrick Henry, 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey and Vikings RB Dalvin Cook.
View photos of Giants running back Saquon Barkley's time with the New York Giants.
Kayvon Thibodeaux is 'can opener' for Giants defense
Edge rushers collect sacks. It is the stat many feel is their most visible contribution to their teams, the stat that burnishes their reputation and prompts fans to rise from their seats and scream their approval.
Kayvon Thibodeaux, who the Giants selected fifth overall in the 2022 NFL Draft to harass quarterbacks, has played seven games in his rookie season. He has one sack. It was a biggie, an eight-yarder that included a forced fumble by Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and a game-clinching recovery by Leonard Williams on Oct. 16. For a player who recorded 19.0 sacks in 32 games at the University of Oregon, one seems like a lonely number.
But Thibodeaux is confident he will soon collect sacks in greater numbers.
"I think the time is definitely going to come," Thibodeaux said yesterday. "I think there's always a time and a place, and I'm going to keep working. Right now, my team is doing well. So, seeing Dex (defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence), seeing Leo (Williams), as long as somebody is getting a sack, I'm okay. As long as the defense can leave with four or five sacks per game, then I'm okay if I don't get one. But if no one gets one, then it bothers me because we're a team.
"It doesn't bother me. I think this is the greatest thing because it gives me a chance to keep working, to keep getting better, to keep having that chip on my shoulder."
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